For sure this is the money shot of the Vines bio but the larger criticism should focus on how the John Birch Society influenced Vines from his two terms at West Rome Baptist Church. WRBC was known as a hotbed of Birchism in the 60's not friendly to the witness of Martin Luther King, Jr at the time who was thought of as a Communist.

When Vines was running for SBC President there was a feature in the Atlanta Constitution that compared FBC Rome with West Rome. If I'm not mistaken West Rome was a mission of FBC Rome.

And a look at the legacy of West Rome in light of the failures of Inerrancy as framed by Molly Worthen would be a better more educational review of Vines than this unfortunate episode of sex abuse.

I hope to come across the book, may read it in the Barnes n Noble in Rome, Ga. I know for a while Vines was commenting on William Thornton's blog. Maybe Thornton has some insight and can do us a review that appropriates the fine series he did on the Lottie Moon book a few years ago

Can you make a rule that if, in the discussion of Vine's bio, mention is made of Molly Worthen, the John Birch Society, Trey Gowdy, First Baptist Church of Spartanburg, Billy Graham and anything else along those lines is off limits, and as moderator, you will delete the post?

I was there the afternoon Vines was elected. Lot of tension in the room. I remember Al Shcackleford told me in the press room his job may be on the axe. Richard Jackson was there. Vines looked about as stressed as a Baptist preacher could look on the dais.

May tell rest of the story soon.

Pressler did make a motion to remove Shackleford, but it was July of 89, year and half later before he got it done.